


Mr. Stark's Birthday: A Film by Peter Parker

by starkintern



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Flash is kind of a dick, Fluff, Gen, IronDad and SpiderSon, Ned Leeds is a Good Bro, Past Pepperony, Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, This is gonna be pure fluff, Those are cute nicknames tbh, Tony is doing his best as a father figure, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-11-17
Packaged: 2019-05-15 21:56:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14798684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starkintern/pseuds/starkintern
Summary: Peter is excited for Tony's birthday much more than anyone else is, especially Tony himself.





	1. Up and At 'Em

_Dear Mr. Stark,_

_~~It’s your birthday~~ Hey Mr. Stark, it’s Peter Parker! But you already know me so I guess that was kinda useless. So it’s your birthday_

Peter’s pen tapped against the paper rhythmically as his train of thought broke off and he kicked back in his chair in frustration, wracking his brain for words. It was quiet in his room save for the faint hum of the streets that he was already used to, which provided the _perfect_ environment to focus. However, it was easier said than done and Peter found himself unable to properly put his thoughts into words. Beside his desk were multiple crumbled up papers, littering almost every corner of the area; those were the rejects, they were always either too cheesy or too embarrassing. 

His eyes traveled towards the analog clock beside his bed and he watched as the green numbers flashed 9:40 P.M. He already finished patrolling for the night, deciding ahead of time to get it done early in order to finish up his gifts for his mentor. Yeah, and that was working out well. 

Heaving a sigh, Peter stood up from his chair, pacing restlessly around his room. He had absolutely no idea what to write – no, he technically _did_ , but how could he successfully write everything he thought about Tony on a few measly sheets of paper? Also, what if Tony didn’t like written gifts? What if Tony didn’t want anything from Peter and would think it was weird if a fifteen-year-old teen from Queens got him something? 

Peter flopped down on his bed with defeat, his back sinking into the mattress. He stared up at the ceiling as if the answers to his problems would be written there. Tony was an incredibly important figure in his life; he saved Peter from spending the rest of his life without a high-tech suit and cruising around New York in a onesie, as the man so gracefully put it. He was also there to help Peter in the ferry incident and although he took his suit away, Peter now understood his true intentions, which Tony also described when they had a conversation about it. Truth be told, he was also one of the only people who believed in him at the time. Not to mention the fact that Peter saw him as a role model and perhaps a father figure as well. Of course, the latter would never be spoken of since Peter did not want to ruin Tony’s view of him and give him the conscious responsibility of such a role. 

There was a knock on his door and Peter looked up just in time to see Aunt May walk in, a sympathetic smile on her face as she sat down on the edge of his bed and pat his knee, “Not going well, huh?” He had told her what he was planning on doing a week before Tony’s birthday so she was well aware of his efforts. In fact, considering how much Peter spoke about his plans, Peter was surprised that Aunt May hadn’t practically memorized his ideas. 

Peter groaned and threw his arms over his eyes, “No, not at all, May. I don’t know how to write everything I want to without sounding…y’know, _weird_.” He felt Aunt May rub her hand over his knee in a comforting manner and he lifted his arms from his eyes, watching as she eyed the mess of papers he made. “Sorry, I’ll clean those up.” 

Aunt May regarded his statement with a brief nod before turning her attention back to him, “Maybe you’re just going about this the wrong way? I mean, a letter is nice and all but there are other ways to give gifts. There’s nothing wrong with going out and buying him something that you think he’ll like. Memories are another example. If you have documented memories of the both of you, like pictures or videos, that always warms people’s hearts. Whatever you decide to do, Peter, I’m sure that he will appreciate it –”

Before she was able to finish her sentence, Peter had already managed to get a new idea and sat up quickly, his eyes wide with realization. “May, _of course_! You’re so right! You’re a genius, thank you so much!” Peter exclaimed, throwing his arms around her in a quick hug before leaping off the bed, almost tripping over his bed sheets in the process. “Can I go to Ned’s place really quick, I promise that I’ll be back before eleven and I’ll text you when I get there. Oh! I also need to get some things, too, but it’ll be from just around the block!” 

“Peter, slow down,” Aunt May laughed at his sudden burst of enthusiasm, folding her arms across her chest. “You can go to Ned’s, just be back by ten fifty and no, I’m not going to round to eleven.” She said once she caught sight of Peter’s pleading face and quickly added, “Absolutely no Spider-manning, either. If I or Stark catch you swinging around town or even wearing the suit, you’re in big trouble.” 

“I’m not gonna, don’t worry.” Peter grinned as he assured her and grabbed his phone, clumsily stuffing it into his back pocket. It was a warm night so all he did was throw on a hoodie above his t-shirt. He then leaned forward, giving Aunt May another tight hug before practically bounding out the door, “Bye May! I larb you!” 

Before he was able to hear her response, the door had already slammed shut behind him. 

 

* * *

 

“You want to _what_?” 

Peter rolled his eyes at Ned’s astonishment, “Make him a video. A memory video, actually. I took them ever since Cap went rogue and he’s in some – actually, _a lot_ – of them so I think that it’d be a good way of showing him that he’s super cool and…y’know, a big part of the lives of others, like me.” When Ned didn’t answer immediately, Peter sighed and sat down on his friend’s bed, ducking his head down and running his hands through his messy hair. “I mean, I don’t really know what else to do. I just thought that it’d be nice. Or at least better than actually writing something.” 

“Dude, are you just gonna show up and give it to him? Can you take me with you? I wanna see his reaction and hopefully meet the other Avengers, too. C’mon, Peter, please?” Ned asked, excitement flickering in his eyes. He brushed aside some stray Lego pieces in order to stick closer to Peter, who welcomed the proximity. 

Peter couldn’t help but let out a bubbly laugh at his request. “I mean, I’m sure that the rest of the Avengers are gonna try to celebrate with him so I’m just gonna swing by, give it to him, and then leave. As cool as it’d be to spend his birthday with them, too, I don’t think that they’re gonna let me. Even if they did, do you really think that freakin’ _Iron Man_ would wanna spend his time with some kid?” 

Ned tilted his head to one side. “But you’re not just some kid. You’re Spider-Man!” 

Peter found himself growing suddenly silent at Ned’s words as they brought back memories of when Peter questioned whether he was really just a kid or Spider-Man. Was he both? Was he neither? 

_But I’m nothing without this suit!_

_If you’re nothing without this suit, then you shouldn’t have it._

It was certain that Peter was far from being an average fifteen-year-old but he was still just some kid. Spider-Man was just some kid and Peter was, as well. They were both the same person, with or without the suit. The question was: why would a successful man like Tony Stark be willing to spend some time with him or even accept a gift from him? Peter was just someone that Tony was stuck being responsible over. 

However, they had gotten closer after the Vulture incident, where Tony first swore to put Peter on every single type of protocol possible to prevent a situation like that from happening again. A few days afterwards, Peter started getting more texts from Happy, which was a surprise considering the fact that it was always Peter blowing up the man’s phone with messages. They were always within the lines of, “Boss wants you here, I’m waiting for you in the parking lot” and Peter always obliged, talking Happy’s ear off the entire car trip. Happy, despite grumbling about the kid never shutting up, didn’t seem to mind that much and when Peter was oddly silent on bad days, he would sometimes prompt him into conversation by asking about how his school day went or how well he did on recent tests. Sometimes he would knowingly keep quiet when Peter murmured something about everything being too loud. 

When they arrived at the Tower, Tony always had Peter test out his new suits and any additions he made to them, which Peter was always more than eager to agree to. When Tony didn’t call for Peter’s suit, they ended up tinkering in the lab, sometimes working on completely separate projects or on more rare occasions, working together. There were also times when Peter brought his homework over and worked on it on the couch in the Compound, Tony sometimes helping him with certain calculus problems when he needed it or attentively listening to him practice oral presentations for his Spanish class. 

When the both of them were exhausted either from working in the lab or what the day brought them, they would flop down on the couch and put on a movie. They generally kept their distance from each other but Tony would sometimes throw an arm around him and make a joke or sarcastic comment about the movie. Even though Peter was more than ecstatic to spend some time with his role model, he couldn’t help but wonder why someone like Tony would even bother wasting his free time with someone like Peter. He had always been meaning to ask but he never did, mainly because he lacked the courage to. Not to mention the fact that it never necessarily crossed his mind until after Peter left the tower. 

“Uh, Peter? You’re zoning out, is it because of your Spidey senses? Do you sense danger? Can I come?” Ned’s voice broke him out of his thoughts and Peter finally looked back up at Ned, mirroring his best friend’s genuine smile. He jumped up from the bed, stretching his arms above his head. His body was still sore after a few run-ins with criminals but his healing factor was constantly doing wonders. 

“Yeah, no, it wasn’t my Spidey senses this time.” Peter assured, although Ned’s face seemed to drop with disappointment. He lowered his arms again and glanced around Ned’s room, eyes wandering past the multitude of completed Lego sets, comics, and half-completed homework assignments. Personal. He had to make it special and personal otherwise it would just be a mediocre video that Tony would be forced to sit through. 

“Ned, how late do you think I can come to school tomorrow without getting another detention?” 

 

* * *

 

“MR. STARK!” 

That apparently came out louder and more out of nowhere than it should have because as soon as Peter swung over to him from the roof of the building he had been sitting on, he found Tony almost choking on his coffee. Peter’s eyes widened behind his mask and he gently patted Tony’s back as the man finally got a hold of himself. 

“Jesus, kid, it’s eight in the morning! What are you trying to do, put me in the hospital this early for heart failure?” Tony complained as he straightened out his suit and placed his coffee down on a ledge. While Peter desperately stuttered out apologies, he eyed Peter’s suit and instantly frowned, “Kid, stop talking and breathe for one second. It’s Tuesday morning and last time I checked, you don’t patrol in the morning. Aren’t you supposed to be at school? How long have you been sitting there? Did you even eat breakfast?” His tone was sharp with disappointment and faint concern, although the latter could barely be detected unless the person being spoken to was accustomed to his usual tone. 

_Geez, I’m not a stalker._ Peter thought. He had only been sitting on the building for about an hour since he got up around six in the morning, grabbed a churro from a nearby stand, and found a building with a perfect aerial view of the Avengers Tower. He already left a carefully scribbled note for Aunt May, claiming that he accidentally left his textbooks behind when he last visited Tony and left early to go fetch them. In reality, Peter had his textbooks stuffed into his backpack, which was currently on his back. He was here for something completely different. 

“Um, yes! But no! Wait, just give me a second!” Peter spoke rapidly as he backed away with one hand in the air, the other hand hidden behind his back as he hid his phone. He just needed one more picture to make his present perfect. “Uh, we have this project at school to do – it’s about internships and work experiences and it counts for a ton of our grade, like a crazy amount! – and I really, really, _really_ need a picture with you! My teacher might not believe me and I need to pass this class so please, Mr. Stark. But if you don’t want to, it’s fine, I can just-” 

“Okay, do you have your phone with you?” 

Peter accidentally disregarded Tony’s confirmation and continued rambling, “I can always just use different pictures but I mean, I don’t know if it’s gonna work but no pressure, Mr. Stark!” 

Tony held up his hand, stopping Peter from continuing with his story. “Kid, I already said yes. And I hope that you don’t plan on taking it with your suit on. After all, it is for a school project.” 

Peter internally cringed at his mistake, knowing very well that Tony had already caught his lie, but luckily had a recovery in mind. He allowed his shoulders to sag and he kicked some pebbles with the toe of his suit, feigning innocence as he looked at the ground for a few seconds before looking back up. “It’s actually for Ned. He wanted me to get a picture with you and I just thought that it’d be nice. He won’t show anyone, I promise! He’s been really good at keeping this a secret…kinda.” Peter’s voice faltered as he remembered how Ned shouted out during gym class that Peter knew Spider-Man and could bring him to a party. 

Tony heavily sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers before looking back at Peter. He didn’t outright say it but Peter was able to tell that he realized that this was a lie, too. He was unfortunately cursed with the inability to successfully keep a secret, which was what made situations like birthday gifts a struggle. A small smile tugged on Tony’s face and he finally said, “Alright. Don’t forget to show this to your hot aunt, though, I think I look more than decent today.” 

“Mr. Stark!” Peter squawked, feeling his face go red behind the mask. 

In the end, Peter got way more than he bargained for since for a few pictures, he convinced Tony to let him take off his mask for a few of them with the promise that he would only show Ned (and no, Mr. Stark, not Aunt May). Peter’s favorite, however, was when he made an offhand comment that caused the two of them to suddenly burst into laughter and thankfully he managed to catch the exact moment on camera. Peter took a step back, his cheeks still hurting from smiling, and glanced down at his phone to examine the last of the pictures. Peter’s cheeks were flushed a bright pink in the latest picture and his smile was wide, causing his eyes to crinkle. He could practically hear Tony’s laughter emanating from the photo; his hand was partially covering his grin while his other arm was loosely thrown around Peter’s shoulders. 

Peter couldn’t help but smiling as he stared down at it and he pulled his phone towards his chest as Tony peeked over his shoulder, letting out an annoyed huff of breath that tickled Peter’s neck as he shrugged, “Fine. Don’t show it to me. It’s not like I’m in it.” 

Once Peter tried assuring Tony countless times that he could get to school without being harshly penalized for being late only to have the man tell Happy to drive him to school, Peter used one of the bathrooms to change from his suit and into casual attire. It included a light blue T-shirt with a chemistry pun on it and dark blue jeans that were torn at the knees (truth be told, the tears were not supposed to be there in the first place, Peter simply found himself acting more recklessly than usual). He tied his shoes and stepped out of the bathroom, slinging his backpack over one shoulder and gathering some textbooks into his arms. 

When he walked outside, Tony and Happy were in a hushed conversation, although they both stood casually and didn’t seem too concerned about what they were speaking about. Peter took that as his chance to approach them and Happy stopped speaking as he caught sight of the teen, nodding towards him and gesturing towards the car. Tony followed Happy’s gaze and he immediately asked Peter if he had absolutely everything packed – did he have enough money for lunch? Did he bring a jacket just in case it was cold in the school? Did he have all of his textbooks? Was he certain that he was prepared for his presentation? This continued until Happy gently reminded Tony of the current time, which forced him to wrap up his game of 20 questions. 

“Don’t forget to send those pictures to me and I’ll take it upon myself to caption this photo as, ‘My little shit kid tried to give me a heart attack this morning.’” Tony pointed out, although there was a faint smile on his face. Peter mirrored his smile and allowed for the billionaire to ruffle his hair before he left for school with Happy at his side, eager to get the school day done and over with. 

 

* * *

 

As expected, the school day dragged out incredibly slowly. 

Peter’s foot tapped against the ground impatiently as he anxiously watched the clock, praying for the minute hand to go faster. The entire day, save for his Spanish presentation, he had his eyes practically glued to the clock, silently willing for it to hurry up. He planned on going straight back to the Avengers Tower since he had all of his gifts in a secure compartment in his backpack and Aunt May was already aware of the occasion so there was no need to text her. All he had to do was get through the school day and he would be free to go. 

When the bell finally rang, Peter was quick to meet up with Ned by his locker, both of them equally excited. Peter began to rapidly speak about what he planned for Tony’s birthday in terms of his contribution, Ned sometimes piping up with words of agreement or enthusiastic and encouraging phrases. He spoke about his gifts, how much effort he put into each, how he was both excited and nervous to give them to the genius, he could have gone on and on about it. Peter even took it as far as pulling out his phone and preparing to show Ned the pictures he took earlier in the morning but thankfully he didn’t get very far before something – no, _someone_ – stopped him. 

“Hey, Penis Parker! What is that I hear about spending Stark’s birthday with him?” A familiar yet dreadful voice caught them both off guard. When Peter turned, Flash was already right next to them with a cruel glint in his eyes. “And you got him a gift, too? _Lame._ He’s a billionaire, he doesn’t need gifts from _you_ out of all people.” 

“Leave us alone, Flash.” Ned warned before Peter was able to speak up, glaring at the other teen who simply smirked and stuffed his hands in his pockets, squaring up his shoulders to appear taller. 

“Yeah, and I’m inviting Black Widow to my next birthday party.” Flash scoffed. “Stark wouldn’t want to hang out with you two losers, especially you, Parker. We don’t even have proof of your internship there! Even if you do have one there, which there’s a 50% chance that you don’t, it’s probably because he pitied you.” 

Peter’s cheeks burned with embarrassment and agitation but he bit his tongue, nudging Ned’s arm with his hand. “C’mon, Ned.” He urged, tugging at his friend’s sleeve as Ned sent Flash another dirty look. As they walked away, Peter heard Flash yell some colorful words after them but thankfully he seemed to have quickly lost interest and both Peter and Ned were able to get outside without further harassment from anyone. Despite the fact that they were out of Flash's line of fire, Peter still felt his words settle deep in his chest and he couldn't help but wonder if Flash was right somehow. After all, he did seem to have a point when he said that Tony took Peter under his wing out of pure pity rather than anything else. 

“What an asshole.” Ned huffed as they walked down the sidewalk, earning himself a brief nod of agreement from Peter as he tore himself away from his thoughts. Ned paused for a minute before his signature smile reappeared and he added, “But hey, you’re the one spending a birthday with Tony Stark himself so no matter what he says, you’ll always be cooler than him.” 

_Oh shit._

It was only then that Peter realized he forgot to initially wish Tony a happy birthday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> um so obviously this isn't finished yet, i kinda just wanted to put something out for tony's birthday before it's over! that being said, this is loosely edited (just for evident mistakes) and i'll edit it more thoroughly later! i'm sure that there's a ton of mistakes that i've missed. also, sorry it's a bit on the short side! the next chapter will (probably) be longer.  
> anyways, i hope this is up to par since this is my first fanfic here, i did my best! thanks for checking this out!


	2. That's Totally (Not) a Hug

By the time school was over and he finally parted ways with Ned, Peter was itching to get to the Avengers Tower. He sent Happy numerous texts first asking if Tony was still there but he got no response so he supposed that he could drop by nonetheless. After all, this was important and perhaps Happy just wasn’t in the mood to answer his messages. It wouldn’t be the first time. 

Peter managed to make it through the doors before he was suddenly stopped by Happy, who looked anything but thrilled to see him around again. 

“Peter! Hey, you can’t come in! Boss doesn’t want visitors right now!” Happy exclaimed as he tried to gently push away the enthusiastic teen out the door. However, it was easier said than done and Peter planted his feet in front of Happy, making it clear that he wasn’t going to be sent off as easily as the bodyguard had hoped. 

“What do you mean I can’t? Happy, I have to! It’s really important! C’mon, please! Mr. Stark needs this!” Peter tried to bargain but to no avail as Happy stubbornly folded his arms across his chest and shook his head. “Happy, please! It’ll only take a minute! I promise! You can even time it! Look, I can just stand outside and toss it to him!” Peter slung his backpack off his shoulder and balanced it on his knee as he stuffed his hand into the pocket where he put the flash drive, trying to dig it out. 

Happy leaned against the doorframe, a surprised look on his face as he noticed what Peter had brought out. The small device caught his interest. “Did Tony give that to you? In that case, I can bring it to him myself.” He held out his hand for Peter to drop the flash drive on and for a second, Peter’s hand hovered above Happy’s and he almost let go of it. As long as the gift managed to make it to Tony, it didn’t matter how, right? Peter’s fingers lingered on the flash drive for a little while longer and Happy tapped his foot against the ground, expecting Peter to give it to him. However, Peter quickly retracted his hand, earning an annoyed “Hey!” from Happy. 

“Sorry. I decided that I want to give it to him personally.” 

“Tough. He’s not going to let you in. He won’t let anyone in for anything.” 

Peter was about to argue and beg Happy some more until he heard another voice, this time feminine, “Peter? What are you doing here? Is everything alright?” 

When Peter turned around, he saw Pepper Potts approaching them, her expression riddled with confusion. She had a paper-filled file carefully tucked under her arm and her hair was tied back in a neat ponytail. Overall, she looked like she meant business, which was what caused Happy to quickly explain to her what Peter was attempting to do. Pepper’s expression changed from that of puzzlement to sympathy and she placed a gentle hand on Peter’s shoulder. 

“I’m sorry, Tony just doesn’t enjoy his birthday. I’m surprised he willingly got out of bed today without me having to coax him out.” Pepper explained, her tone soft. When she noticed Peter’s uncertain expression, she let out a small sigh, squeezing his shoulder, “I’m sorry, there’s not much that we can do about it. He’s a stubborn man.” 

Another voice joined the conversation, “Stark actually wholeheartedly enjoying his birthday? Forget about it. I’ve been alive for a long time and I have yet to see it happen.” Rhodes had sandwiched himself in between Happy and the door, giving Pepper a brief nod of greeting before looking back down at Peter. 

Peter’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious?” When he received nods of confirmation from both Pepper and Rhodes, he wondered why Tony didn’t enjoy his birthday. Of course, the obvious answer was that his father had something to do with it and it simply carried over to adulthood since it was never resolved. Peter felt terrible that Tony was unable to bring himself to enjoy a day that was meant to be dedicated to his happiness and well being. 

“Okay. Then let’s give him a surprise party,” Peter finally spoke and continued before they got the chance to voice their protests, “Why not? He’s probably just upset because no one ever threw him one.” He was aware that he was only barely scratching the surface of Tony’s issues when he said that but he was trying his best to be convincing. Peter would definitely not be able to get everything done in time by himself. “I mean, c’mon! It’s worth a shot, right? Please, Ms. Potts! Colonel Rhodes!” 

Pepper glanced at Rhodes, who returned her look before he stared down at Peter. He seemed to be lost in thought and Peter was getting antsy waiting to hear what he had to say about the spur-of-the-moment idea. Rhodes then broke into a smile that caused a wave of relief to wash over Peter and joked, “As long as he only yells at you, I’ll give it a shot. I haven’t necessarily got anything to lose.” 

Pepper thankfully soon agreed as well and Peter, unable to contain his excitement, rapidly went over his already thought-out plans with them. Rhodes was in charge making a banner, Pepper was in charge of food, and Peter would help both of them whenever possible while also making sure that the gifts were in order and decorating. Pepper mentioned a dinner reservation and Peter wholeheartedly agreed, even though he was given a warning that he might not be able to go considering the fact that he was still young. Happy was assigned the job of making sure that Tony didn’t come out of the lab until Peter gave him the signal but all the man did was murmur something about kids these days being too pushy. 

They agreed to get everything done by the evening. Deep down, they all knew that it was wishful thinking to believe that it would work or bring Tony out of his rut at least for today but Peter was confident. 

He felt like he had to be. 

* * *

 

By the time Peter was done decorating, he was almost out of breath and lightheaded from blowing air into an entire pack of red balloons. It didn’t take him as long as he originally thought it would considering the fact that he had the ability to crawl on walls and the ceiling, which meant that he had time to check on the progress of both Rhodes and Pepper. 

Peter had checked on Rhodes first and from what he could tell, the banner was moving along nicely despite being a little messy. After offering Rhodes some eager words of encouragement, Peter then decided to check on Pepper to make sure that she was doing okay with getting the food in order (there were also some suggestions that Peter wanted to make in terms of what to get since his fast metabolism caused him to already feel hungry). 

“Ms. Potts? Is everything okay in here?” 

“Oh, thank goodness you’re here, Peter. And remember, it’s okay to call me Pepper.” She spoke quickly as he tentatively entered the kitchen, her eyes only resting on him once she said his name before they darted back to the paper she held in her hands. Peter opened his mouth to ask her what she was making but she already began to explain it, completely unprompted, “I’m trying to bake a cake for Tony. I think it’s better than buying something, don’t you think? I dug this recipe up but it’s recommended that two people make it and since Rhodes is stuck making…whatever _that_ is supposed to be, I can’t ask anyone else. Can you help me out, Peter?” 

“Sure, I can help.” Peter nodded his head in affirmation, smiling at Pepper’s sigh of relief. Peter didn’t think that he was a good baker at all and he was certain that the kitchen would quickly become a mess but as long as Pepper had a faint idea of what she was doing, he supposed that they would be fine. It at least had the potential of turning out decent. Pepper explained the recipe to him and eventually they both got to work. 

After a messy session of mixing butter, flour, eggs, milk, vanilla, and other necessary ingredients together, both Peter and Pepper had most if not all of those contents stuck in their hair and clothes. The ceiling of the kitchen wasn’t looking much better, either, since there was a point in time when Peter had accidentally mixed too hard. Somehow they managed to finish up the batter for the cake and pour it into the designated tray in record time, which gave them a chance to start cleaning the kitchen up while it was in the oven. 

When the timer signaled the ten-minute mark, they both stopped what they were doing and squatted down in front of the oven, watching in dismay as the cake deflated helplessly and sunk into the tray. Pepper groaned and rubbed her forehead with her fingers while Peter merely cringed at the sorry sight. It looked as if they couldn’t even manage to bake a cake decent enough to be presented. Peter suggested that they let it bake the full amount of time anyway, just to see if it managed to get better as time went on. Pepper thankfully agreed, mentioning something about it not being worth taking out yet. 

A little over half an hour passed and it didn’t get any better. In fact, it seemed to have sunk further into the tray. When Pepper brought it out of the oven, it seemed to have brought its disappointment with it. 

“Well, it’s not over or undercooked, which means that we’ve done something right. It just didn’t settle like it was supposed to so it looks like someone sat on it. Looks like I’m going to have to buy one.” Pepper commented as she cut the piece away from the cake and placed it down on a nearby plate. Even though the cake didn’t turn out the way it was supposed to, it had a beautiful golden tint to it and it looked fluffy, which caused Peter’s stomach to audibly rumble. Pepper seemed to have noticed because she turned towards him and let out a small laugh, “Are you hungry? Don’t let Tony know, you know he’ll have a fit if he finds out you are.” Peter’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment but before he could claim that it was fine, she had already placed the cut piece of cake in front of him, walking into the kitchen with another plate for herself. 

While they were eating, Peter freely rambled to Pepper about what he made for Tony, only stopping to chew and swallow mouthfuls of cake before continuing with his train of thought or branching to a completely new one. Pepper listened intently and assured him that Tony would be overjoyed even if Peter gave him a blank piece of paper. 

“Honey, as a precaution, just make sure that you’re prepared for any type of reaction. He doesn’t enjoy his birthday very much and I can’t guarantee that he’ll…like this.” Pepper warned as she stared down at her plate and picked at the leftover crumbs with her fork. A pregnant pause passed between them before Pepper suddenly pushed her chair back and put the plate into the sink, “I’m sure that he’ll definitely be happy that you’re here, though. I’ll go clean myself up and then check on Rhodes’s progress, feel free to order something if you’re still hungry. If you ever want to clean up, too, there are a few other bathrooms around here you can use.” She offered him a gentle smile before leaving the kitchen. 

Peter watched her leave before silently stared down at his plate, his fork still holding the next mouthful of cake he had been planning on eating. Now, however, his appetite was gone and replaced with a nagging feeling in his chest that he couldn’t shake off. 

Whatever happened, Peter just hoped that what he was doing didn’t cause Tony to feel worse. 

* * *

 

Cleaning up wasn’t an issue until Peter realized that he didn’t bring any spare clothes. Thankfully, he was able to use a towel and clean almost everything off of his jeans. His hair was unruly, curly, and it looked as if he didn’t bother brushing it for days but he assured himself that it was good enough. His shirt, on the other hand, wasn’t so lucky. He couldn’t get certain butter stains off no matter how hard he scrubbed at it with soap so he resigned to leaving his shirt alone and trying to find a jacket in his backpack that he perhaps forgot to take out. Thankfully, Peter did manage to find his yellow jacket that he had on when he was trapped in the Damage Control Deep Storage Vault and it was enough to cover up any noticeable stains on his T-shirt. 

“Whoa!” Peter loudly exclaimed as he exited the bathroom and caught sight of the scene that surrounded him. The banner, now finished, was hung up and the letters were covered with golden glitter that made the entire banner seem to shine in the fading sunlight. The background was painted red and it was far from perfect since there were some splotches that were lighter than others and a few dots of white scattered the entire banner. However, Peter was more than excited to see it complete and he turned around to see Rhodes, his glitter-covered hands stuffed in his pockets. 

“I’m no Michelangelo, that’s for sure.” Rhodes humorously commented as soon as he caught Peter’s gaze, who only grinned and assured him that it was perfect. The man shook his head, “You’ve got a lot of faith, huh? I hope that’s enough to get Tony to stop moping in his lab for the rest of the evening.” 

“I made the reservations, thankfully not many people are going to be there.” Pepper stated as she also walked in, her phone pressed to her ear. She was wearing a black dress now and looked as if she had never had a spot of flour on her in her entire life. She stopped as soon as she caught sight of the banner and glanced knowingly at Rhodes, who simply smirked and shrugged. Then she turned her attention to Peter, “Peter, honey, can you go fetch Tony for us? I think it’s about time we start since we’re expected to be there in an hour and I’m worried that he’ll work himself to death if someone doesn’t drag him out of there. Rhodes and I will get the cake and everything else set up.” 

Why me? Peter furrowed his eyebrows at the request, “But I thought that Happy said that he wouldn’t come out for anything or anyone. I think that includes me, right?” He looked helplessly towards Rhodes, hoping that he would take the responsibility, only to have the Colonel gesture towards the direction of the lab with his glitter-covered hand. Peter eventually got the message and couldn’t help but wonder why they couldn’t do it themselves. After all, they knew Tony than Peter did. 

Then again, Peter found himself realizing that he didn’t have the right to be complaining at all, especially since he was actually excited to see the man again after their morning interaction. He enjoyed being around Tony even when one of them happened to not be doing so well; they often found safety and comfort in the presence of each other. Peter felt secure around Tony and he hoped that the feeling was mutual, especially in this case. After all, he was determined to make Tony’s birthday this year as amazing and unforgettable as possible. 

“Okay. I’ll be back in five minutes. Hopefully five minutes, I mean.” 

* * *

 

“Happy, did Tony leave the lab yet?” Peter asked as he approached the other man, who simply shook his head and returned to reading a news article on his phone. Peter glanced towards the closed doors and cupped his hands around his mouth as he shouted at the top of his lungs, “MR. STARK!” 

Happy loudly cursed as he desperately caught his phone from falling and Peter prepared to shout it again until he saw the door swing open and was greeted by a familiar face, although this face was anything but cheerful. Tony looked as if he hadn’t properly slept in a week and his shirt was covered with grease from machinery. He shot a look at Happy, who was still trying to recover from almost shattering his phone screen, before expectantly looking at Peter, his face tight with impatience and agitation but his voice calm, “What do you need, kid? Everything alright?” Then he paused for a few seconds before looking at Peter as if he had suddenly grown two extra heads, “Wait, when did you get here? How long have you been here? Are you –?”

“I’m okay! We can play 20 questions later; I have something amazing to show you! C’mon, it’s really important, I promise!” Peter interrupted, wildly gesturing in the direction of the surprise party with his hands. 

Tony raised his eyebrows but didn’t say anything for a while. When he did, though, his tone was flat, “I’m busy.” 

“But Mr. Stark! It’s important!” 

“Look, kid…” 

“C’mon, please! It’ll only take five minutes! Not even!” 

It definitely took more than a few minutes for Peter to get Tony out of the lab, especially when the man was acting like an unwilling dog being forced to go on a walk. Peter pleaded and used his best puppy dog eyes until Tony finally gave in, rolling his eyes and trudging outside while murmuring something about this better being good. Peter wasted no time in practically dragging him over to where Pepper and Rhodes hopefully managed to set everything up. 

When they got there, the lights were shut off and it seemed as if the windows were covered, too, which blocked out sunlight. Peter felt Tony place a hand on his shoulder and begin to tug him backwards until the lights suddenly flashed on. 

Peter watched as Tony stared at the scene in what seemed to be pure disbelief. He was greeted with a room that was heavily decorated with red balloons, some tied to chairs while others simply floating on the ceiling. The balloons gave the room a faint red glow. The banner, however, was perhaps the most noticeable object in the room. It was incredibly bright and colorful with the words “Happy B-Day Tony” written on it. The minor gifts that Peter gathered – which included a gift card and an actual card, were placed on a table in the middle of the room with perhaps more balloons than necessary surrounding them. The flash drive was still buried in the pocket of his backpack, which was dumped somewhere in the room. Pepper and Rhodes stood in the middle with nervous grins on their faces and a red velvet cake that they were both holding up, which had Tony’s name on it. 

Silence. 

The seconds felt like minutes and the minutes felt like hours. Peter’s foot nervously tapped on the ground and he kept his eyes fixed on Tony’s face, searching for any hint of emotion that could give him an idea of what the genius was thinking. After a while, his heart sank all the way to his stomach and he slowly made his way to stand next to Pepper. 

_He definitely hates it._

_I fucked up. I majorly fucked up._

_I dragged Pepper and Rhodes into this, they put so much work into this and they’re going to take the fall for my idea, I made Tony feel worse on his birthday out of all days –_

“Um, if you’re upset or anything, it was all my idea.” Peter started to say, wringing his hands together as he attempted to find the right words to use. Peter was beginning to feel more than nervous about his mentor’s lack of response and quickly threw a glance at Pepper to see if she noticed too only to realize that she was smiling. Suddenly, she nudged him forward with her elbow and when he confusedly looked back, he saw her make a gesture of an embrace with her arms. 

_He’s not mad?_ Peter mouthed to her. She shook her head in response and Peter looked back at Tony, who didn’t seem to notice either Peter or Pepper. He hesitated for a brief moment. Why was he so worried? His mentor – no, his father figure – was standing right in front of him and he was acting as if the man were covered in spikes. Peter knew that he wasn’t. There was warmth in Tony, more than he ever let on, and Peter had witnessed it a few times. Tony believed in him even though he was just fifteen-years-old, he developed an entirely new suit for him, he spent time with him, he let Peter talk his ear off about his interests, he let Peter work in the lab with him, he helped Peter with schoolwork, the list could only go on and on. 

With a sudden rush of affection, Peter pushed away his negative thoughts and leapt into action, rushing towards Tony and engulfed him in a tight hug before he was able to properly react. His head leaned against Tony’s chest and for a few moments, the hug wasn’t returned and Peter began to feel awkward hugging Tony in front of everyone while the man wasn’t doing or saying anything. However, before he was able to fully pull away, cheeks dusted a light pink, he felt a pair of arms tug him back and he found himself in a warm embrace that caused a smile to almost instantly tug at the corners of his mouth. 

“Is this a hug, Mr. Stark?” 

“Don’t push it, kid.” Tony warned but his tone didn’t hold any anger and instead seemed…fond. Peter let out a small laugh as Tony ruffled his hair and the two of them eventually parted although they didn’t move far from each other. 

The rest of the evening was spent with laughter. When Tony commented on the state of Rhodes’s hands, the Colonel purposefully placed them on the billionaire’s cheeks, which caused Tony to suddenly draw away and loudly complain. Pepper described how the cake from earlier was a complete bust and Peter defended their attempt by claiming that it still tasted good. Happy even approached them after a few minutes saying that he was only here for the cake but he ended up staying for longer than he claimed. 

After a few minutes, they were all within close proximity of each other and the atmosphere was light and happy. Rhodes was sitting to Tony’s right and to Tony’s left was Pepper. Happy leaned against the top of the couch from behind it, a rare smile gracing his features. Peter was the only one nowhere near the scene since he was busy getting himself another slice of cake but he was the first to take notice of it. 

“Oh! Hold on, I’ll take a picture of all of you together.” Peter offered and, without even waiting for an answer, placed his plated down and went to go get a camera. Pepper had brought one up just in case things went well so he didn’t have to go very far. He returned, thankful to see that no one got camera shy and decided to get up when he mentioned taking a picture. Peter turned the camera on and took a few steps back, trying to get everyone and the rest of the couch into the frame. When he concluded that the frame was good enough, he bought it up to his face, looking through the viewfinder while his finger hovered over the button that would take the picture. 

“Well?” 

“Well what?” Peter lowered the camera as he responded to Tony’s abrupt question. 

“Aren’t you going to get in?” Tony elaborated and Pepper shifted away from him, causing Rhodes to get squished against the side of the couch. There was now a small but cozy space in between Pepper and Tony, who were both looking at him expectantly. 

Peter stared at them in disbelief, hesitantly looking behind him to see if Tony happened to be speaking to someone else before slowly pointing at himself in question. When Tony rolled his eyes and threatened to drag him to the couch if he didn’t get moving, Peter didn’t waste any time in setting up the timer for the camera and placing it on the conveniently positioned stand in front of the couch. He secured it before rushing over, practically throwing himself down on the couch. Tony tossed an arm over his shoulders and Peter instinctively leaned into the touch, casting Tony a smile before looking back in the direction of the camera. 

It took a few attempts to get a perfect picture but Peter swore to keep all of the other pictures, as well. There was one where Happy got impatient and his mouth was wide open as he asked when the damn picture was supposed to be taken, for example. There was another where Peter sneezed in the middle of the snapshot while both Tony and Pepper were leaning away from him. Pepper had made the mistake of how hungry Peter was when he first got here and, as expected, the camera caught Tony in the middle of scolding Peter while said teen was sheepishly looking at a spot on the ground. There were a few others that were similar in nature that Peter claimed were perfect in their own way. 

“It’s time for our reservation, Peter.” Rhodes’s voice caused Peter to look up from the camera. He had a black dress shirt on and his hands were clean, gone of specks of glitter and paint. “Thank you for doing this, by the way. It really means a lot to the stubborn man and you gave me a reason to dress up nice. That’s a job well done, kid.” 

“You’re welcome, thank you for helping me out. I don’t think I would have done such a great job with the banner, to be honest.” 

Pepper was next to arrive with a purse in her hands and she stopped in front of Peter, her eyes warm as she gazed upon him. “You’ve made Tony very happy, Peter. Don’t tell him that I told you this but he spent a good amount of time talking my ear off about how he didn’t expect this.” She winked. 

Happy had been trailing behind Pepper and he hesitated for a moment before clapping an awkward hand on Peter’s shoulder, his lips twitching into a smile. “I really underestimated you, kid.” 

Finally Tony appeared as well, this time in an expensive suit rather than a grease-stained shirt. His hair was messy in a few areas but otherwise, he looked very well kept and almost exactly like the spitting image of a billionaire. He asked everyone if they were ready and soon enough, they were all heading out the door. 

Peter accompanied them to as far as the hallway and watched as they left and despite feeling a twinge of loneliness, he was more than happy that Tony was spending this occasion with people who clearly cared about him. He definitely deserved some time to relax and enjoy himself for once. Considering the circumstances of the situation, Peter believed this to be a success. Of course, that was vaguely put and he’d have more time to reflect on the way back home. 

Smiling to himself with triumph, he turned his back to the door and gently placed the camera down on the table and then turned his attention to his phone, preparing to send Aunt May a text telling her that he was going to be home soon as well as a text to Ned telling him about what happened. However, he stopped when he heard Tony’s voice, “Peter?” Tony hadn’t left yet? 

Unsure of what was being asked of him as well as being taken aback by hearing his own name coming out of Tony’s mouth and not some nickname like “kid”, Peter paused and turned back to see Tony watching him expectantly. Peter waited for him to mention something like having forgotten his school supplies in a random place or telling Peter to skedaddle out of the Tower while most of them were gone so he can go do his homework but neither of those words were spoken. In fact, the silence between them was gradually getting rather awkward and Peter’s free hand subconsciously toyed with the hem of his yellow decathlon jacket. 

When Tony began to shift in place and hold an arm out, Peter made the connection in no time. _Oh, it’s a hug!_ Peter suddenly realized and he wasted no time in practically jumping into Tony’s arms. This time Tony caught him with much more steadiness than before and his reaction was immediate and certain, which was what thrilled Peter. 

_That’s not a hug, I’m just grabbing the door for you._

“I wasn’t really going for that, Underoos.” Tony pointed out against the silence yet his voice was oddly gentle and he didn’t seem to mind that Peter made the assumption and jumped, quite literally, to conclusions. Peter let out a small “sorry!” and pulled away, although his mentor kept his hands on his shoulders and continued, “Let’s get going, it’s going to be my next birthday by the time you get ready.” 

“Oh! Right! I’ll be going in a few minutes. Um, can you also save me some leftovers if there are any, please? Of course, it’s your birthday, Mr. Stark, I understand if you want all of it or something so I’m perfectly fine without one. I just –” 

Tony arched an eyebrow. “Hold up. What do you mean save you some? You can have as much to eat as you want, kiddo, you’re coming with us.” 

“Holy shit, are you serious?” Peter couldn’t help but exclaiming, his hands pressed to the sides of his head as if his mind were blown and his eyes wide. In actuality, it was considering the fact that he was invited to spend time with Tony Stark; the man willingly wanted to spend time with him. Peter didn’t have to do or say anything about the event, he was simply expected to show up. It felt like a large weight was lifted off of his chest and suddenly Flash’s words from earlier in the day barely had any meaning. 

“ _Language._ ” Tony warned but amusement was evident on his face and Peter could tell that it was only half-hearted. He gestured towards the door with his head, “Of course I’m serious, c’mon.” 

Peter simply stared at him, completely incredulous, for a few moments. Tony Stark himself was actually inviting him to go with him and his friends to celebrate. That was exactly what Peter believed wouldn’t happen in a lifetime let alone at the current moment. Peter was about to eagerly follow after him out the door before realizing that he had yet to do something important, which caused him to suddenly stop in his tracks and begin to backtrack. 

“Actually, hold on a minute.” He quickly said while he began to make his way in the opposite direction of where Tony planned on heading, going straight for where he placed his backpack. How could he almost forget? He had worked so hard on it and it was the main reason why he showed up here! 

“Are you still coming?” Tony called after him and Peter realized that he never actually said yes or no to his offer. Before he was able to respond, Tony continued, “You’re going straight home afterwards if you are so make sure to leave your stuff where Happy can easily find it, I’ve already called your aunt to let her know!” 

“Yeah, of course! Thank you, Mr. Stark! I just need to go do something really quick.” Peter shouted back as he turned around and jogged backwards in order to face the billionaire when he was speaking, almost tripping over stray wrapping paper in the process. He caught himself and quickly made his way in the direction of the room they were in, relieved to find his backpack exactly where he left it and left untouched. He dropped to his knees and opened the pocket where the flash drive was carefully placed, breathing a sigh of relief to find it still there and in perfect condition. 

Grasping it carefully in his hand, Peter stood up, glancing around the empty room. Now he was left with the difficult decision of either presenting it to Tony personally or leaving it where he would be able to find it after he came back. Ideally, Peter would present it to Tony and he would watch it whenever he had the chance but Peter also didn’t want to risk distracting Tony from the celebration itself. Peter stared down at the flash drive in his hand, examining it from different angles. He had put his entire heart into the contents it had. 

Biting his bottom lip, Peter took out a notebook from his backpack and tore out a clean sheet of paper, messily folding it in half. He rummaged through his backpack for a pen and thankfully found one in record time. Peter used the nearby table as a surface for writing and when he was finished, he carefully let the note lean against the table, making sure to place the flash drive in front of the note so it would be more noticeable. He took a couple of steps back to make sure that it could be easily identified from a distance before instinctively smiling, taking his backpack and slinging it over his shoulder. 

Peter then quickly made his way back to where, to his surprise, Tony happened to still be there waiting for him, examining his nails as he leaned against the doorframe. Peter felt a wide smile twitch at the corners of his mouth and an overwhelming feeling of happiness bubbled in his chest. 

They left side by side. Their voices gradually faded as they walked down the hallway and eventually out the building. 

If someone were to stumble across the now empty compound, they would come across a very unprofessionally written note and a small black flash drive sitting on the table. _Happy birthday, Mr. Stark!_ The note read in scribbled handwriting, making it clear that the writer was in a hurry. _P.S. I’m not just giving you a random flash drive, you have to watch what’s on it._

Further down the note, written in small cramped letters to be able to fit into the space left was the name: 

_\- Peter. ___

____

____

* * *

 

_“Um, hey, Mr. Stark.” The teen on the screen greeted as he shuffled awkwardly into the frame and ran a hand through his brown hair. He looked rather awkward but his eyes remained focused on the camera to imitate eye contact and he seemed to know what he planned on saying next since he sat down on his bed and began, “So I’ve heard that it’s your birthday. I mean, I already knew that before making this video, of course. Duh. I just want to say happy birthday, first of all. Well…you’ve certainly aged.” Peter’s voice was suddenly teasing and he seemed to suddenly be more comfortable in front of the camera, which was only prove by how his once tense shoulders finally relaxed._

_The camera was suddenly picked up and there was a quick scope of Peter’s room as he adjusted it; the posters, the messy closet, stray Lego sets, and his desk with stacks of papers on it were suddenly in full view. It was easy to tell that his room was small but it was also incredibly personalized and had a home-like aura to it, especially with its dim lights and the occasional flashing lights of cars streaming through the window as they passed by on the street._

_“Don’t ask about these, by the way.” The camera suddenly panned towards Peter’s desk with such velocity that it would make anyone watching dizzy and focused on the mess of papers that littered the ground and desk itself. “They’re all…rejects. Yeah, rejects. I also promised Aunt May that I’d clean it up but it’s…” The camera panned once again but this time it also zoomed in on the analog clock. “Uh, around midnight already? I guess I should do it soon, then.”_

_“But first!” Peter’s face appeared on camera again and there was a slight shake as he shifted the camera into focus. His brown eyes quickly flickered to something behind him and he placed the camera back onto the stand he used, the camera picking up the sound with a soft “thud.” Peter sat back down on the bed, his mildly curly hair now messy from the amount of times he ran his hand through it. “But first, I have something to show you. These are gonna be…spoiler alert, a collection of videos that I filmed and they all have you in it, of course, so that’s why I’m putting them in here. They’re supposed to show you how – y’know, how great you are._

_“So, um, yeah. I hope you enjoy! I’ll see you again at the end of the video. Or maybe I’m right next to you. Or maybe I’m not there at all. Whatever the case is. Bye, Mr. Stark!” Peter gave the camera a small wave and an awkward but still dorky smile before the screen slowly faded to black._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey again !!! i hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was really fun to write! tony deserves to spend time with friends that care about him so that's why i included a few more characters. i also apologize for any mistakes that may be here, i edited it for an hour but i feel like i missed some. other than that, i hope that it was up to par!  
> thank you for your support and comments! thank you for reading this, too! the next chapter will be added soon, hopefully!


	3. Ready, Aim, Smile!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> surprise bitch, you thought you'd seen the last of me (im sorry for the belated update, my laptop broke and i had to redo this chapter and i had 0 motivation for a few months)  
> so the way this chapter is organized - there's three moments that peter has included in his video and i take you through all three. you'll know when each moment is part of the video cause tony's alone at the current moment, but in each part of the video he's with peter. if anything gets confusing, i'll just add little notes here and there.   
> i hope you guys enjoy anyway! i worked my ass off on this chapter

It was strange coming back to an empty and silent compound after spending time in a loud, boisterous restaurant. Roaring laughter, clinking glasses, and upbeat music playing in the background were sounds that were replaced with complete silence that seemed louder than any of those factors put together. Tony was no stranger to it, though, nor did he mind it this time around. He greeted Friday and switched on the lights, watching as the room lit up and the sparkling banner, red balloons, and leftover plates, some of them still holding pieces of cake, were suddenly visible. 

The room was a mess but, similar to the silence, Tony found himself strangely not minding it. Instead, he drank in the sight of the Iron Man banner that Rhodes had created, the cut-up cake that Pepper bought him, and the balloons that Peter strung up around the room. They were all simple actions but they meant the world to him. He wanted to leave them up for as long as possible. 

Naturally, his thoughts drifted back to Peter, the mastermind behind the surprise party. Tony never doubted that Peter was a good kid, he realized that as soon as their first meeting came to a close, but he certainly did not expect Peter to go to such great lengths simply to make him happy. The mere thought left a warm feeling in his chest that was so foreign to him he almost thought that something was wrong with his heart again. Unfortunately, Tony had been unable to express his gratitude to the kid. 

Tony told the kid to leave his stuff where Happy could easily be able to detect it but Peter, being the naturally stubborn teenager he was, took his backpack with him. Since there was no need to return to the compound, Happy left with Peter when curfew came around while Tony was distracted, leaving the billionaire unable to properly say goodbye. He was disappointed considering the fact that he had yet to thank Peter for his determination for making Tony’s birthday better than it ever was but he supposed that he could always do it eventually. Considering how clingy Peter was, they were bound to cross paths again. 

His eyes wandered and fell upon the camera that rested on the table. When he carefully picked it up and started going through the pictures, he couldn’t help but smile at each one, especially the latest. Pepper’s lips were curled into a smile and her eyes seemed to shine, a sight that Tony hadn’t seen in a while. Happy, for once, seemed content and the hint of a grin was evident on his mouth. Rhodes was grinning widely and had his hand on Tony’s shoulder, his body leaning against the genius and it only took Tony two seconds to find the bunny ears that Rhodes made on top of his head. Of course Rhodey would never miss the chance to mess with him. Finally, there was Peter. Peter was leaning closer to Tony than he was to anyone else and his smile seemed to reach up to his ears. His cheeks were flushed red, too. They were reminiscent of a family – a strange one, yes, but a family nonetheless. 

Then he noticed something else sitting on the table, something unfamiliar. Furrowing his eyebrows, Tony placed the camera back down and cautiously made his way over to it. It was a small black flashdrive with a piece of notebook paper settled beside it. He took the note into his hands and from a quick glance realized that this was Peter’s gift to him. A newfound feeling of curiosity and perhaps even excitement bubbled in his chest and he took the flashdrive into his hand, already ordering Friday to get his player started. Tony managed to get everything set up quicker than he ever had, similar to how a child opened their present on holidays in record times, and sat down on the couch once the lights dimmed. It felt emptier without Pepper, Rhodey, Happy, and Peter surrounding him but that feeling left as quickly as it came once the video started playing.

Peter’s familiar face appeared and the introduction of the video soon played. The introduction was terribly awkward, humorous, loving, and it was so … like Peter. Peter was no professional behind camera, that was for certain, but Tony appreciated it nonetheless. He shifted in place, reaching over to grab a piece of leftover cake from the coffee table as Peter waved goodbye and the first video started.

* * *

“Touch anything that I don’t approve of and you’re toast.” 

The warning fell upon deaf ears and a higher-pitched voice chirped back in response, “Of course not, Mr. Stark! Have I ever done anything like that?” 

“Actually, yes,” Tony lightly retorted as he stepped inside of the lab, casting a glance at the enthusiastic teenager trailing after him. “Might I need to remind you of the time you hacked into a suit that I so generously made for you?” 

Peter rolled his eyes and dumped his backpack beside the table that was designated as his own personal workspace, although most of the time he was beside Tony. His desk was always rather messy, anyway, with scattered papers, pencils, and various tools littering the top. Peter brushed some to the side in order to make room for him to sit down on the edge of the table, where he grabbed a textbook from his backpack. He sometimes did homework while Tony worked in the lab – the two of them enjoyed the general company of each other even if they weren’t working on the same thing together. 

“History?” Tony snorted, seeming to have caught a look at the cover of the textbook when Peter brought out of his backpack. “Doubt there’s anything interesting written in there. Actually, maybe there is. Is there anything about yours truly written in there?” 

“You mean Cap? Oh, there’s _loads_ written about him.” Peter’s lips curled into a grin and he flipped the textbook open to a random page, seemingly trying his best not to laugh under Tony’s burning gaze. “How about I read you a section or two? Oh, here’s a good one. ‘Captain America, also known as Steve Rogers, is considered one of the most prominent heroes in history-”

“FRIDAY, music.” Tony loudly spoke, cutting Peter off. The teen’s almost hysterical laughs were drowned by incredibly loud rock music and Tony glared at Peter one last time before he returned to his work, sometimes softly singing along to the song which was only evident by the way he mouthed the lyrics. Tony didn’t always make something particularly useful, sometimes tinkering was something he did for the hell of it, but this time he seemed to be working on something for Peter’s suit. 

Peter, on the other hand, busied himself with homework rather than inventions. For a few brief moments, his brown eyes scanned over the words written on the textbook but it was clear that he lost focus rather quickly. Placing the textbook down in defeat, Peter slid off the table and knelt down, taking a worn notebook out of his backpack. He cast a quick glance at Tony before he opened it to a page that was highlighted yellow, with the words “Web Fluid” written in block letters. He had multiple formulas written on the thin pages of the notebook, eraser marks and scribbles dotting the margins. 

He already had some supplies on his table from the other instances he worked on web fluid in the lab; Tony always scolded him for not putting them away and claimed that one day Peter’s desk would become such a pigsty that he wouldn’t be able to do any work there. Naturally, his words went through one ear and out the other. 

“Shit!” Peter cursed as soon as his hand accidentally knocked over the beaker, spilling the contents onto the table and on some of his papers. The web fluid shouldn’t have spilled like a liquid, which was already a sign that Peter had either missed a step or messed something up along the way. Grimacing, Peter gingerly picked up a few of the affected papers by the corners and moved them out of the way – or at least attempted to. When he tried, they held to the table, almost as if they were glued there. When Peter tugged harder in order to get them loosened up, he ended up completely tearing one in half. 

Peter tossed the torn half of the paper aside, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. Was it really _that_ sticky? In order to test this, Peter decided to live up to the “dumb impulsive teenager” stereotype and place his entire right hand in the middle of the mess. When he attempted to lift it back up again, it stayed where it was.

Realizing his mistake, Peter jerked his hand back and the table moved with it, causing Peter’s eyes to widen. He frantically glanced at Tony, who was thankfully too busy to notice, before he gently pushed the table back into its original place. He tried elevating his arm this time, biting his lower lip as his elbow began to shake with the strain of pulling and containing his strength. Eventually Peter gave up and instead reached over with his free hand to grab a pen, making sure to glance at Tony every now and then to make sure that the man didn’t notice. Then, he gently prodded the area around his hand with the pen, jerking the pen backwards when it began to stick dangerously to the table. 

The music in the lab suddenly stopped and Peter froze. Tony tossed a wrench across the table and stretched his arms above his head, a yawn escaping his mouth. Once he stopped, he checked the time on his phone before turning to Peter. He didn’t seem to notice the fact that Peter’s hand was stuck to the table and instead held up a black, metal circular object that looked like it could fit on someone’s wrist. 

“Hey, kid, wanna see something I made?” Tony asked with an almost excited and devilish grin plastered on his face. “I want you to go test these on Rhodey once I finish them up. He really appreciates those pranks you do, he told me so himself.” When all Peter did was nod vigorously, Tony made his way over to him, gesturing for Peter to give him his hand. “They’re supposed to go on your wrist, this one I made for your right one since it’s your dominant hand. If this one works the way it’s supposed to – which I have no doubt it will – then I’ll make the second one.” 

Peter’s face paled. “Oh! Um…I,..hurt my wrist the other day. On patrol. Yeah. Wearing stuff on it…hurts.”

“Pete?” Tony asked, catching on to Peter’s tone of voice. However, before either of them were able to say anything, Tony’s dark eyes rested upon the area where Peter’s hand rested. Arching an eyebrow, Tony took the pen that Peter used to prod at the failed web fluid earlier and poked at it. The pen ended up getting stuck as well, as Peter had feared it would. 

“Mr. Stark, please don’t –” Peter’s apology was cut off as Tony suddenly barked out a laugh, his arm clutching his stomach. Peter blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting such a positive response, before his lips twitched into a smile almost by instinct. “Okay, okay, it’s not that funny.” Unfortunately for him, Tony continued laughing until his breathes were coming out as short wheezes and Peter pouted. “Okay, haha. It’s not peak comedy, Mr. Stark.” 

Tony wiped a tear away from his eye as giggles, the remnants of his laughter before, escaped his mouth. “How did you even manage to do this? I never knew that spiders could get caught in their own webs.” 

“Mr. Staaaaaaaaaaark.” Peter pathetically whined. “Your jokes aren’t helping me out of this.” 

“Alright, alright. FRIDAY, save any footage from today.” 

“No!” Peter protested, aiming to gently swat Tony’s arm to prevent him from saying anything else that would doom his reputation only to miss and end up with his elbow stuck to the table as well, a few mere inches from his hand. Peter groaned and didn’t even bother attempting to get himself unstuck, seeming to know well enough that he would either break the table or send it crashing down on his body. 

“That’s karma for you, Mr. Parker!” Tony chortled, his voice a little more distant than before. When he appeared in Peter’s line of sight again, he had a small bottle of something unlabeled and unidentifiable. It looked rather oily. “You’ve made more of a glue trap than a web. Lucky for you, I have something that’ll dissolve the glue in a few minutes.” He explained, unable to hide his grin as he stared down at the awkward position Peter was in. He reached out and fondly ruffled Peter’s hair, which caused the teen to smile despite his situation. Tony placed the bottle down on the table and seemed fully prepared to use it until something, specifically a piece of paper stuck in the web fluid, caught his eye. “You’re learning about the Accords in school? Seriously?” 

Peter was too late to warn him. When Tony placed both his hands on the paper to read it, he was unable to bring them back up. At first, Tony simply seemed to refuse to accept that such a thing could happen, and he made multiple attempts to free himself from it. However, the reality settled in rather quickly and he looked down at Peter accusingly, who only offered him a nervous toothy grin. 

“When I get out of here, you’re handing over your suit. FRIDAY, stop recording.” 

“Actually,” Peter said, “I’m still recording. I left my camera on the table there so I could record myself doing cool things with the things you’ve built for my suit.” 

“ _What?_ ” 

Peter gestured with his head towards the camera, which Tony had to crane his neck to make direct eye contact with. He immediately shot Peter a look, which caused Peter to innocently smile in return. “Looks like I caught Iron Man in my web.” 

“Just for that comment, you’re banished from the lab for the rest of your life.”

* * *

“Mr. Stark! This is the first time we’re fighting side-by-side! Well, there was that time when Cap went rogue but that didn’t really count! You had Black Widow and War Machine and Vision and it wasn’t just us but now it is! We can do totally cool, kickass stuff!” 

“Kid, if you keep talking, it’ll be our first and last fight.” Tony warned, dodging a blast from a man with a very high-tech, almost alien-like, gun. The attack began in Central Park, New York, and Tony wanted to stop it before it managed to get to the city or worse, to Queens. Naturally, Peter appeared soon after Tony did, most likely as a result of his “spidey-sense” or whatever he called it. “You know the rules, kiddo. If you get as much as a scratch on you, you tell me and bench yourself.” 

Peter completely ignored his words. “I’m even recording it for the memories, see the camera over there? So act even more awesome than usual! Actually, I don’t have to be telling you that, you’re always awesome, it’s me who has to pick up my game. Maybe I’ll even make my voice deeper to sound more intimidating and heroic.” 

Thankfully, by the time the enemies noticed that Peter had joined the fight, the teen was focused and paid more attention to attacks rather than whatever mundane stuff he had been talking about earlier. Tony evidently kept a close eye on Peter despite the two of them managing to get separated during combat, which was only proven when he shot repulsor blasts as warnings at those who tried to sneak up on the young hero from behind. 

Eventually the numbers of those attacking Tony and Peter dwindled and Tony successfully disarmed the last few of them. Talk about a busy Monday morning. Tony had already been making mental plans in the middle of the battle to take Peter to get some donuts with him as a post-battle treat. 

“Mr. Stark, that was so awesome!” Peter called from his position on top of a tree branch, where he had a weapon webbed up against. Tony had told him to make sure that they were safe and out of sight so he could get Damage Control to collect them later, so there were various dangerous weapons webbed in a multitude of areas. The masked hero gave the man a thumbs up symbol and prepared swing down but before he was able to, one of the weapons seemed to get triggered by the sudden movement and a shock wave passed through the tree, causing Peter to lose his footing as he yelped in surprise. With a quick flash of red and blue, he was falling and Tony was already in the air. 

Peter could have easily used a webshooter to latch onto a branch or simply grab onto one. The fall was nowhere near fatal and both Peter and Tony knew it. There was absolutely no need for such a frantic and protective reaction from Tony. Nonetheless, Peter was quickly gathered in metallic arms before he managed to hit the ground. 

“Whoa, you caught me!” Peter exclaimed as soon as Tony settled back down on the ground. There was more than simple adoration in his tone of voice and once Tony let him go, the eyes of his mask seemed to widen as he stared up at the man. 

“Of course, kiddo. I don’t need you becoming a spider pancake on my watch, your Aunt will kill me,” Tony scoffed, although there was a hint of concern in his voice, “I’m more scared of her and what she’ll do to me than anyone else.” 

Peter didn’t say anything in response for a few moments. Instead, he practically threw his arms around the metal armor of Tony’s suit, who stumbled back a little in surprise. “Thank you, Tony.”

* * *

“So, how do you like it? It’s working okay?” 

“You….yeah, it’s working okay but you really didn’t have to – I mean, I appreciate it and everything, but wasn’t it expensive? You didn’t have to…spend that much money, my other camera was perfectly fine!” 

“Shut it, kid, and enjoy your new one.” 

Peter was sitting on a table in the kitchen in rather casual clothes – a T-shirt with a science pun on it, dark sweatpants, and fuzzy Iron Man socks that he insisted on wearing all the time around Tony. Tony, in similar fashion, was wearing a simple AC/DC t-shirt and faded jeans, his hair still messy from sleep. He had a cup of coffee in his hands that he gradually took sips from. Sunlight streamed from a nearby window, illuminating their features and creating a faint white glow around them. The scene was so domestic they could be put on the next episode of Full House and no one would be able to tell the difference, according to Tony. 

Peter had spent the night over at the Compound since he ended up falling asleep doing homework the other night and Tony couldn’t bring himself to wake the kid up, especially since it’s been an exhausting week for him. Thankfully, his aunt agreed to let him stay as long as Tony promised to ensure his safety and well-being, which of course he did. That was when Tony also decided to get Peter a new camera. The kid was always recording almost everything around him and for some odd reason, Tony felt compelled to give him a new one in much better condition and with much better features. 

The camera was set on the table in front of them since Tony suggested testing out the video functions to make sure that they were to Peter’s liking. 

“Hey!” Peter suddenly exclaimed. “We should do one of those videos for we did for Aunt May after you dropped me off. Remember, after Germany? You told me I could keep the suit and then you gave me advice and everything –”

Tony dismissed the rest of Peter’s ramblings with a hand. “Yeah, of course I remember, kid. That’s actually not a bad idea. Does Aunt Hottie like a more formal look or do you think that she’ll dig me now?” 

Peter dutifully ignored Tony’s remarks and leaned closer to him, offering the camera an award-winning smile. Tony rolled his eyes and threw an arm around Peter’s shoulders, deciding to be the one to start it off just like last time, “Hey May, what’re you wearing?” He heeded to Peter’s look of warning this time and amended, “Not that it matters. I’m just here to say what a wonderful kid you have here. Everything is still in one piece, I limited his sugar intake, if I could only make one complaint, it’s that this kid doesn’t know how to sleep without drooling up an ocean.” 

“At least I don’t snore like Tony does! I heard him snoring all night, it kept me up for hours!” Peter shot back.

“Oh please, you slept like a brick. I bet I could have fallen through three stories and you wouldn’t even have moved.” 

“Aw, Mr. Stark, are you admitting that you’re getting old? Do you need an ‘I’ve fallen and I can’t get up’ protocol?” Peter teased, earning himself a dangerous look from Tony. 

“Can it, kid. I bet I could be seventy and I’d still manage to outdo your scrawny ass.” Tony sniffed. 

Peter threw his arms around Tony and looked at the camera, “And here we witness the great Tony Stark getting insecure about his age. Next thing you know he’ll be complaining about those damn kids on his lawn.” 

“You’re the only damn kid I complain about!” Tony retorted yet there was no venom in his voice. “And if Cap were here, he’d chew me out for letting you curse. You’re lucky you’re stuck with me.” 

“You’re right, I am.” Peter said, this time with full sincerity in his tone of voice. There was a brief pause between them before Tony suddenly stood up, muttering something about having to go refill his cup. When Tony walked away from the frame, Peter watched him go before turning his attention back to the camera, a faint smile gracing his features. “Yeah. I’m so lucky.”

* * *

The screen went dark for a few seconds and Tony was prepared to consider it done, although an image soon appeared. The red-and-blue suit was distinctly Peter’s, who was grinning wildly. Tony was beside him in the picture, his hand partially covering his mouth as he laughed. He had his arm slung around Peter’s shoulders. Tony immediately recognized it as the picture that Peter took earlier in the morning with him; he had to admit, despite being a terrible liar, he would have never guessed that Peter would use one of those photos for this purpose. 

Text then appeared on the bottom of the image, bright and vivid as if Peter wanted to make sure that Tony couldn’t miss it even if he tried: 

_Happy Birthday to Tony Stark – best hero, mentor, and dad._

When the screen finally faded to black for good, causing the entire room to plunge into darkness, Tony didn’t say or do anything. Every fiber in his being refused further movement. So there he remained in the dark, furiously wiping his soaked cheeks with the sleeve of his suit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i didnt edit this at all im sorry, its just almost 3 am here and i wanna sleep  
> anyways, i did do my best with this chapter and i hope that its as funny / fluffy as i intended it to be! we're almost done with this work, stick around for the finale. as always, i appreciate any and all kudos and comments !! <3


	4. Always

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and here is the finale! it took me a long time to write it 'cause i was dealing with writer's block, but here it is! i hope you enjoy it, and thank you for sticking around 'till the end of the line!

“He hates me. He _so_ hates me now. I messed up big time. He’s never gonna want to see me again.” 

As Peter complained, he felt a gentle yet awkward hand rub his shoulder in consolation, although that only made him groan more. It had only been a day after Tony’s birthday and the logical side of Peter knew that he shouldn’t be so worked up over the man’s lack of response, but he couldn’t help it! He hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep the night after the party because he was so worried and no matter what Aunt May told him, he couldn’t get the thought of Tony’s distaste over the gift out of his head. 

Once he got to school, he managed to keep it together until the last class, where there was a substitute and Peter just _couldn’t_ focus on the worksheet that was given to him. He had crossed his arms on the table and rested his head on them, squeezing his eyes shut. 

“Hey, maybe he didn’t look at the gift, maybe he threw it out or something,” Ned helpfully supplied, “or maybe he didn’t even notice it and someone else took it.” 

The mere thought of that happening brought shivers down Peter’s spine. “Ned, that’ll be _worse._ So much worse.” 

“What are you two losers even talking about?” When Peter lifted his head up and turned to look at the owner of the voice, who sat behind him reading a book, she shrugged her shoulders, “Sorry, I couldn’t help but notice your pity party.” 

“MJ,” Peter whined, “Mr. Stark hates me now. I made him a gift but I feel like I weirded him out too much.” 

Michelle rolled her eyes, a small smirk tugging at the edge of her lips. “You say that now, Peter, but I’m willing to bet all my money that he’s going to pick you up from school today or something cheesy like that. Then you’ll really look and feel like an idiot.” 

“As if that’s a new feeling for him,” Ned playfully teased, causing Michelle to let out a small laugh and murmur an agreement. When Peter shot him a glare, Ned held his hands up innocently, “She started it.” 

“You guys are the absolute worst. I’ll never come to you when I need any comfort ever again.” Peter said as he dropped his head down back into his arms, but he couldn’t stop the smile from gracing his lips. 

When the period finally ended, Peter was the first one out the door, with Ned hurrying after him, still trying to desperately stuff his worksheet into his backpack without tearing it. Peter slipped his phone out of his pocket as he walked out the door, biting his bottom lip as he saw no new notifications on his cracked screen. Ned finally caught up to him and leaned against him to see as well. They were both frowning in a matter of a few seconds. 

“Maybe he’s just been busy?” Ned asked hopefully, sensing his friend’s distress. “He’s a billionaire so maybe he has meetings with super cool hero companies.” 

“I usually go work with him in his lab after school, but I don’t think I should. I mean, imagine how awkward it would be if he really does hate the gift and then I show up thinking that everything will be the same.” Peter’s voice was bitter towards the end of his sentence and he stuffed his phone into his pocket, making his way down the steps. “I’m such an idiot. I should have just gotten him something that he would’ve one hundred percent liked. Like a mug. Or a new tie. Or _something_!” 

Before Peter could venture further into his thoughts, he felt a hand on his shoulder and immediately whipped around only to find himself face-to-face with Michelle. She raised an eyebrow at his sudden reaction and he nervously grinned, scrambling through his mind for a proper excuse only to have Michelle start speaking first, “Hey, dork. There’s a really ticked off man in an expensive-looking car in the parking lot who’s complaining that he’s been waiting for you for over five minutes already, and that if you’re so desperate to take off years from his life then you’re accomplishing it.” 

Peter’s brown eyes suddenly brightened. “Happy! That’s probably Happy! MJ, that means that Mr. Stark doesn’t hate me!” He leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her in a quick, unexpected hug before he rushed over to Ned, nearly tackling him in the same hug. “Ned! I’ll see you later, alright?” Before any of his friends were able to respond, Peter rushed towards the parking lot, a newfound skip in his steps. 

He came across a rather familiar and expensive-looking car in the parking lot, just like Michelle had said. He confidently made his way towards it, opening the door to the backseat with ease. 

“Hey, Happy.” Peter cheerfully greeted as he slid into the backseat, placing his backpack on the floor beside his feet. 

“I don’t know if I should be offended by that or something.” A voice that was definitely not one that belonged to Happy snorted, and Peter’s head snapped up just in time to see Tony glance back at him from the driver’s seat, a faint smile gracing his features, something that was once very rare for Peter to see. 

“MR. STARK!” Excitement bubbled in Peter’s chest and he couldn’t stop himself from breaking into a huge grin as he suddenly jumped forward in his seat, wrapping his arms around Tony in a rather awkward hug. “Mr. Stark! Mr. Stark! You’re here!” 

He felt Tony laugh and shift in his seat to pull Peter closer, even if their position wasn’t the best or more comfortable. “In the flesh, kiddo. C’mon, get buckled up, I have something to show you.” He affectionately ruffled Peter’s hair as the teen drew away, buckling up. He could practically feel Peter’s curiosity radiating off of him and it only became more palpable as he shifted the car into ‘drive’ and drove out of the parking lot. 

Despite his bounding curiosity, Peter relaxed into the seat, happy to even be inside the car. All of his worries from the school day melted off of him as soon as Tony turned up the volume of the radio, and his thoughts were drowned out by familiar AC/DC music.

* * *

If there was anything that Tony was incredibly good at, it was looking his part as a billionaire. 

“Why are we in here?” Peter asked, eyes widening at the sight of so many expensive cars in one place. Peter felt like he had to sell one of his limbs just to be allowed to breathe in the man’s garage. “Are we gonna work on one of them?” He had only been in the garage a few times and that was mainly because Tony wanted to show him how to work on car engines and the like, so Peter automatically assumed that they were going to be doing something similar. Even though it wasn’t exactly a day in the lab, Peter felt excitement bubble in his chest. He always enjoyed working with Tony, no matter what they were doing. 

“Nope.” Tony said, popping the “p”. He led Peter further inside before he gestured towards the mass of sports cars with his hand, the other hand stuffed in his pocket. Peter waited for him to say something else, but he didn’t, so he only blinked up at him in confusion. Tony rolled his eyes but couldn’t stop the amused smile from tugging at his lips. “Choose which one you like best, bud.” 

“Huh? Mr. Stark, you can’t actually be serious.” 

“As serious as Happy is before his morning coffee.” 

_That_ is _pretty serious._ Peter thought with a shudder at the thought of Happy up early without his daily caffeine. He shifted his weight from one leg to another awkwardly, his hand clutching his backpack strap. His eyes wandered over the cars that surrounded them, wondering why Tony wanted him to pick out his favorite, and eventually Tony decided to help him out. 

“Alright, I’ll show you some of mine. Do you have your license?” 

“Uh, May is teaching me to drive. Kinda. I just stress her out a lot and then she stresses me out and then it’s a cycle. One time I bumped into the curb and she nearly had a heart attack. I think I was close to having one, too.” Peter mumbled the last bit, causing Tony to bark out a laugh. 

“Yet that didn’t stop you from wrecking that car near the warehouse?” 

Peter cringed at the mention of the warehouse but thankfully Tony’s attention was diverted so he didn’t notice. In fact, Peter never told Tony about what happened there. All Tony knew was that the warehouse collapsed, but he most likely assumed that Peter was out before it did. Perhaps it was better that way considering how much Tony blamed himself for Peter getting hurt after fighting the Vulture, even if Peter constantly assured him that it wasn’t his fault at all. 

“That was different. I was saving your butt.” Peter joked as they walked, only half paying attention to the various cars. 

“Oh yeah?” Tony hummed, “If your hot aunt lets me, I’ll teach you how to drive on highways.” 

Peter’s mouth fell open. Tony was offering to teach him how to drive on highways? That was a recipe for disaster not only because he witnessed Tony breaking some driving laws (of course they were minor, but still) before but also because Peter wasn’t necessarily a calm and collected driver. “Oh, Mr. Stark, you don’t have to do that or anything—!” 

“Mr. Parker, do you not trust me as a driving instructor?” Tony dramatically gasped, placing a hand over his chest. Before Peter was able to protest, Tony continued, “Anyways, we’re getting off-topic. Geez, you almost had me monologuing. What do you think this is, Shakespeare in the garage? Did you choose one yet?” 

“I…uh…no. What are we even doing here?” Peter asked, his tone of voice laced with slight exasperation. 

Tony blinked in surprise and said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, “It’s for you.” 

“What?” 

It took a few moments for Peter to register what Tony was implying and he felt his heart sink down all the way to his stomach. A bitter taste rose in his mouth and he suddenly stopped walking, anger bubbling in his chest. This didn’t feel right. This wasn’t right. He barely listened to Tony as the billionaire continued walking and speaking. 

Eventually, Tony noticed that he no longer had a chatterbox trailing behind him. He turned around, eyes meeting Peter’s as he took note of the distance between them and immediately took on a different tone of voice, “What’s up, kiddo?” 

The pure concern in Tony’s voice was enough to suddenly wash all the anger away from Peter. Truth be told, Peter wasn’t even angry at Tony in the first place, he was disappointed that Tony felt like he had to repay people for gifts and acts of kindness. Did Tony not understand that all Peter wanted to do was make him happy? 

“Mr. Stark,” Peter slowly began, keeping his voice gentle despite the emotional turmoil inside him, “I didn’t make you that video expecting something in return. I didn’t have a new sports car or some new tech in mind when I put all those clips together. I mean, it’s really nice of you to offer and everything, but I just – I just wanted to make you happy, that’s all. Y’know, ‘cause I love you not just because you’re Iron Man, but because you’re Tony Stark. You’re the closest person I’ve had to a dad since Uncle Ben. And I know that it sounds a little weird and I don’t want you to think that you’re replacing him, but Aunt May says I have a lot of love in my heart, so I have enough for you both. Oh my God, I’m making this so weird. My point is, the last thing I would ever do is give you something expecting you to give me something back. So thank you for the offer, Mr. Stark, but I’m not gonna accept it.” 

There was a long stretch of silence between them and Peter suddenly clasped his hands against his mouth in horror as soon as he mentally replayed the conversation and realized what he had just said. Oh, he had really done it now. Did he _really_ just admit to Tony that he thought of him as a father figure? Peter knew he always had a tendency to dig his grave deeper before throwing himself in it but this was a new record. 

Peter lowered his hands from his mouth and immediately began to backtrack, “Oh, I just remembered that Aunt May wants me home early today, so I better get going. I don’t wanna make her mad or worried or anything, and maybe she might try cooking tonight and if there’s a fire, I gotta be there to stop it. You know how she gets with cooking and everything, once she starts she won’t stop until it starts burning to a crisp. So, yeah, I’m just gonna swing home so you don’t need to ask Happy to drive me or anything, okay, bye.” He turned around and began to speedwalk towards the door that led to the exit, his mind whirling. _I’m an idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot --_

“Hey, Underoos,” Peter stopped and turned around to face Tony as soon as he heard the man’s oddly gentle yet no doubt affectionate tone of voice, “Stay awhile.” 

That was all it took for Peter’s panicked thoughts to dissipate as quickly as they came. He felt himself begin to smile and he made his way back to Tony, stopping when he was just a few feet away from the man. 

“Always.” It came out casually out of Peter’s mouth, a simple agreement to an offer and nothing more, but the meaning behind it was genuine and by the glint in Tony’s dark eyes, Peter could tell that he understood. 

Tony suddenly slung an arm around his shoulders, his usual grin gracing his features as he spoke in a much more confident tone of voice, “C’mon, let’s head over to the lab, I’ve been meaning on checking out some of your designs. I’m a big fan of your work.” 

“Mr. Stark!” Peter squeaked, his face flushing with embarrassment. “Quit messing around.” 

“Hey, it’s true. I just wish that I can read your handwriting. I thought mine was terrible but when I looked at yours, I had to hire a consultant to help me read it.” Tony teased, gently squeezing Peter’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, kid. Your hieroglyphics don’t stop me from being proud of your work.” 

There was a faint pause on Peter’s end before he quietly murmured, “Do you really mean that? Are you really…proud of me?” 

“Are you calling me a liar?” 

“I ain’t calling you a truther.” 

A chuckle escaped from Tony’s mouth and he stopped walking, causing Peter to stop walking as well. For once, Tony allowed his emotions to steer and he pulled Peter against his chest in a tight hug. He felt the teen stiffen against him and his heart skipped a beat, but before he was able to detach himself from the hug and mutter apologies, he felt Peter’s arms wrap around his torso, his hands resting on his back. Tony could practically feel Peter smiling and he briefly pressed a kiss to the top of his head as he echoed, 

“Always.”

* * *

Tony changed over the years. That was a given to anyone who remotely knew him. Truth be told, he was still arrogant, egotistical, and stubborn. He kept his sarcastic tongue, strong spirit, and survivor’s guilt. Tony Stark was still a Stark, no one could take that part out of him. However, there were many parts of him that he shed. 

Years ago, Tony would have never believed that he would be looking forward to his next birthday. He would have never even fathomed the idea of crawling out of bed that day let alone out of his lab. If someone told his past self that he would have a party thrown for him by someone he thought of as a son, his past self would scoff and claim that someone’s been drinking too much. 

Years ago, Tony wouldn’t have believed that he would spend up all night thinking up of five hundred different ways for a kid with spider powers to shoot webs. He never would have thought that his lab days would stop being so lonely or only accompanied by the presence DUM-E with a fire extinguisher or Pepper occasionally checking in to make sure that he didn’t “accidentally” forget to sleep. Now Tony could count the amount of days he spent alone in the lab for the past month on his fingers. 

Years ago, Tony would never have even anticipated the thought that his afternoons would be spent helping a high school kid with homework or having him test out various suits and suit upgrades. Hell, Tony didn’t even think that he would develop any suits other than the suits for the Avengers. None of the Avengers got suits as high-tech as Peter’s, or with as many features as Peter’s. 

Years ago, Tony would never associate the word “father” with his name. He distinctly remembered a conversation he had with Pepper about that topic in the past: 

_Pepper lay in bed beside him, her eyes staring up at ceiling as she lost herself in her own thoughts. Tony was busying himself with reading a few articles on his phone, the words barely registering._

_“Tony?” Pepper asked, turning on her side to face him. When Tony glanced at her in question, she hesitated before asking, “How do you feel about parenting?”_

_“You’re pregnant?” Tony gasped, dropping his phone on the bed._

_“No,” Pepper quickly corrected before the man was able to send himself into cardiac arrest, “I’m talking hypothetically. I…I know how rocky your relationship with Howard was.”_

_“That’s an understatement.” Tony scoffed, already very uncomfortable with this conversation. The last thing he wanted to do was think about Howard. “Why are you bringing this up? It’s three in the morning.”_

_“I just want to know. Would you ever be able to think of yourself as a father?”_

_Tony’s answer was stern, certain, pained, and final. “No.”_

The conversation occurred years ago, and Tony had been thoroughly convinced that the words “Tony” and “father” simply did not mix. Now he was two seconds away from framing every single picture he had with Peter and placing them on his desk. Now he was looking forward to his next birthday, and to Peter’s birthday as well since he sure as hell was going to get him back for the surprise party. Now if anyone mistook Peter as his son, he would embrace it wholeheartedly. 

Emotion swelled in his chest and he blamed his watery eyes on allergies, even though they were inside a well-sanitized lab. Damn, this kid was really making him an emotional wreck. “Hey, kid. Spiderboy. Crime-fighting spider. Spiderling.” He called once he pulled his thoughts together, trying to get Peter’s attention. The teen had his back turned to him and seemed to be working on a new webshooter design, or something relating to his suit. 

When Peter finally took notice and turned around to face him, his cheek smeared a dusty dark brown from oil, his curly brown hair incredibly messy, adorned with a small smile forming on his lips and a bright glow in his eyes, the words were out of Tony’s mouth before he could even think about them. 

“I love you too, Peter.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that's all, folks! i hope you enjoyed reading this, 'cause i enjoyed writing it! thank you for all of the support (kudos, super kind comments, and bookmarks) and patience, they really motivated me to complete it! this is a complete work, but if you guys ever wanna read rejected moments, paragraphs, or sections that i've written in drafts but never included in final updates, i'll maybe post them as a separate "epilogue" chapter. but yeah, overall this is done!   
> as always, any feedback (comments, kudos, etc.) is very much appreciated !! <3333


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